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Eurasian Scops-Owl (Otus scops) — photo 1 of 5
© Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom CC BY 2.0

Owls

Eurasian Scops-Owl

Otus scops

Voice

Song

Lionel TRIBOULIN

0:24

Song

Lionel Triboulin

0:14

Song

Lionel TRIBOULIN

0:19

How to recognize it

  • 19–21 cm, smaller than a little owl

  • Grey-brown overall, with dark mottling and fine streaking

  • White shoulder spots, yellow eyes, upright perch

  • Night call: soft whistled "splyu" or "tyeov"

About the species

The Eurasian Scops-Owl spends most of the day still and upright, then becomes active after dark. Its voice is a repeated, soft whistle — “splyuu” or “tyoov” — heard at short intervals.

It roosts in tree holes, wall cracks, and old nests, and often settles near people in parks, gardens, and open woods. It takes insects and other small invertebrates, with moths and beetles making up much of the diet.

It breeds across southern Europe and parts of western and central Asia, then moves south for winter. In Mediterranean areas it may stay year-round, but elsewhere it is a seasonal visitor.

Where to find

  • In mature parks with old hollow trees — listen at dusk for a soft repeated whistle from the canopy.

  • Along quiet garden streets and leafy courtyards — it often stays motionless in dense shade, then gives away its spot with a clear call after sunset.

  • Near rows of large trees on tree-lined avenues — by night it hunts insects in the upper branches, then shifts to a new perch in the dark.

  • By old stone buildings, walls, or bridges with cracks and cavities — check the upper edges and listen for a call from a hidden roost.

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Sources